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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · hide · bound · patient · chair · fine · clip · tear

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — certain
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — a video
  13. tear — from crying
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — tied together
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com